A Gift For the Expectant Mother
by mmooch
Summary: **Part of 'Who's Your Baby's Daddy' series.** Now that Giles and Buffy have finished visiting all the potential 'donors', it is time for them to learn who the lucky man is! Slight crossover in chapter 5.
1. Chapter 1: Gift For the Expectant Mother

**A Gift For the Expectant Mother**

Summary: Now that Giles and Buffy have finished visiting all the potential 'donors', it is time for them to learn who the lucky man is! **Part of 'Who's Your Baby's Daddy?' series.**

A/N: In response to Challenge 3064: conception by conspiracy *non-stargate* by shelli.

A/N: Thanks to my betas: zigpal and JediKnight.

Pairing: Basically a Buffy/Giles _friendship_. Anything else is up to you, the reviewers – within reason of course.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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**Giles' apartment**

Buffy sighed in relief as she sat on Giles' couch. Leaning her head back and closing her eyes, she called out, "I never thought I'd be happy to be back in Sunnydale."

"Yes. Well, it wasn't exactly a vacation we went on. Traveling the country, informing strange men that they might be the father of your child due to a government conspiracy to create the perfect soldier isn't generally considered something a normal tourist would do," Giles responded wryly from the kitchen as he prepared some tea for them.

"No kidding! Emphasis on the _strange_ for some of those guys. Makes me wonder if Walsh or her superiors were smoking crack when they thought of the list," she commented, recalling the good, the bad and the weird.

Giles came into the room with the tea tray. He chuckled at her words, "They were rather…unique individuals."

Opening and rolling her eyes at her Watcher, Buffy corrected him, "You mean freaks! I never thought I could put myself next to another person and think '_I'm_ the normal one here.' That just seems wrong."

Handing her a cup of tea, Giles smiled at her fondly. "I must say, you have impressed me these last several weeks. Being pregnant at the age of 19 would be overwhelming under the _best_ of circumstances. And these are anything _but_. Yet you have dealt with all this with amazing poise and maturity."

Buffy shrugged off the praise. "Probably because I'm still in the land of shock here. To be honest, it still doesn't feel completely real to me. Wait until I have a name to put on the birth certificate, then I'll probably break down. Especially if it's one of the freakier candidates," she finished, complete with a shudder.

"But there were a couple on the list that were impressive, weren't there?" Giles reminded her. After taking a sip, he went on, "Are you going to have your mother come over for the paternity test? I'd recommend we take care of this right away. The others will know we're back soon and come over, demanding an explanation for our trip. What did you tell them anyway? Whenever I spoke to them, they made the strangest comments," he said warily.

"Oh, you know, just that we were doing a Watcher/Slayer bondage thing." She giggled at his look of mortification. "I called Mom from the airport and she said that she'd be here by 4. How long will the spell take?"

"Once we coat each of the artifacts from the candidates, it will take 30 minutes for the spell to take effect. Then the correct one will smoke before turning white," he explained.

She looked at the clock on the wall before saying, "Then we should get started. We'll have a lot of stuff to talk about before the gang gets here. Most importantly, how am I going to handle slaying while I'm pregnant. Just because I don't patrol, doesn't mean the baddies will leave me alone."

"I can answer that for you, kid," a Bronx voice rang out.

Buffy tensed up at the voice. "Whistler! What are you doing here? Do the Powers expect me to sacrifice this baby now? I mean, last time it was the love of my life, so my child is the obvious choice this time!" she practically growled out.

Understanding her venom, Whistler didn't take it personally. He smiled as he answered, happy the kid would finally get a break, "Actually, it's the opposite."

Realizing who this 'person' was, Giles put a protective arm around Buffy. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

"I mean, she's done! A new Slayer has been Called to replace her and the other one," Whistler announced.

"You mean I'll lose my powers? I'll be a sitting target!" she exclaimed. What had she done that pissed those bastards off so much?

Whistler quickly reassured her, "No, you have the reputation with the demon community, so you'll keep your powers. The other one will lose hers…mostly. She'll keep just enough to stay safe, but they'll gradually fade until she's only slightly stronger than the average human."

Still leery, Buffy inquired, "Why are they doing this?"

"Couple of reasons: first, you deserve it. They really did feel bad about the Angel/Angelus thing. They forgot how something like love can change everything," Whistler answered with a bit of chagrin. "But the main reason is, even though she's working on her redemption, Faith will never be the Slayer again. And since the line runs through her now, she's the one who needs to lose her powers. Normally, the only way for that to happen is by her death…" he left the thought hanging.

"Why can't she ever be the Slayer? I mean, if she really _is_ working for her redemption, that is," she hastily added. She still wasn't sure about her nemesis/sister Slayer.

"Because she's going to be in jail too long." The balance demon hurried on before she could open her mouth, "And before you ask, she needs to stay there. Even though Finch's death was an accident, she did commit crimes later with a clear head. Some that the authorities don't even know about. So, if she gets out before she's paid for those, it will make her redemption that much harder to get."

Buffy couldn't believe she was asking this, but something made her anyway. "Wouldn't she be of more use fighting the good fight?"

"Like playing devil's advocate for someone you hate?" He continued before she could answer, "Only if it were 'end of the world' necessary."

Giles spoke up again, having remained quiet while his Slayer handled things, "Let me see if I understand this correctly. Buffy will be freed from her sacred duty, while not losing her abilities. Is that about right? Why would they allow that?" He, too, was distrustful of their motives.

"Because they don't see her being able to sit back and not fight what she knows is out there. When she tried to run away two years ago from slaying, she proved that," Whistler answered proudly.

Surprised, Giles demanded, "What do you mean?"

Whistler looked at Buffy in shock. "You mean you never told them, kid?" he asked. She shook her head. "For crying out loud! It is possible to take the whole martyr thing too far, you know. They might not have been so hard on you if they'd known the truth," he told her with exasperation.

Buffy glared at him and just replied, "Giles _wasn't_ too hard on me."

"Maybe not, but the others sure were," he reminded her.

Not wanting to rehash painful memories, Giles interjected, "Could we get back to what she should have told us?"

When Buffy refused to answer, Whistler did, "She spent some time in hell…well, _a_ hell dimension. But not the same one as Angel, though."

Giles was astonished by the news. "What?!"

"It was only a day or so. Of hell time," the blonde Slayer clarified, thinking Whistler was making too much out of this.

Whistler continued, ignoring Buffy's comment, "Yeah. She ran into one of those kids that worshipped vampires. Lily – as she was going by then – was trying to make something of her life. When her boyfriend went missing, she asked Buffy for help."

Then the balance demon went on to tell Giles about Ken, the shelter, and how Buffy helped some people escape. "But the most remarkable thing was the change she inspired in Lily. Gone was the victim that barely survived on the streets; in her place, there's now a fighter."

Finishing up, Whistler explained the real part of the story, "When they made it out, Buffy helped Lily take over the 'life' she had created for herself there…including her name: Anne. Lily wears the name as a badge of honor to remember the woman who saved her in more ways than one. But also to remember that _she_ can fight the good fight in her own way."

Then he turned to the Slayer and commented, "It may interest you to know that she's working her way up to running a shelter for runaways in LA. And, unlike other shelters, this one doesn't ignore the supernatural problems these kids face. She's making the Powers proud."

Buffy gave him a smile. She was happy to hear that Lily/Anne was doing so well.

Giles was a little stunned – but only a little. He _already_ knew his Slayer would fight no matter what. Back then, he knew the others were resentful that she apparently abandoned her 'duty'. But he was concerned for her safety because he understood what they didn't – Buffy should have been dead. And not just because the Master killed her.

By all rights, she never should have survived _Lothos_. Except, she did survive him…as well as the dozen _other_ threats that should have ended her life. But she managed to hold on every time. However, there was a price.

When the emotional turmoil that she had lived with since being Called – which increased exponentially by the tragedy of her 17th birthday and all that followed it – finally overwhelmed her, she ran to escape. He had no doubt that a weaker person would have just let themselves die. He, himself, almost let Angelus destroy him in that warehouse.

But Buffy did her duty, and then left to rebuild her shattered life. He only searched for her so he could let her know that she had a place to come back to when she was ready. That hopefully, he could _help_ her heal.

Feeling somehow the words were necessary, and regretful that he hadn't spoken them before, Giles told his Slayer, "Buffy…I don't think I ever told you that to some extent, I understood what you went through and that you needed to leave to deal with it. That is why I welcomed you back so easily. I knew that it was vital that you take the time to regain yourself."

"Thanks Giles. You might not have said the words, but you did let me know by your actions. And it meant the world to me," she told him with a grateful smile.

Whistler interrupted the pair, pretending to be annoyed, "Now that we've gotten all the mushy stuff taken care of, let's move onto the main reason for you not being the Slayer anymore. It's time for you to leave the Hellmouth, kid." Seeing the protest in her eyes, he held up his hand to stop her. "Remember it's not just you anymore; you have someone _else_ to protect now. Don't let your pride interfere with that. It isn't running away when somebody is taking over for you," he reminded her.

"Now, you can either live near the dad so he can be a part of your lives, or you can just find a place to settle down so you can concentrate on the little one. He or she should be more important to you than duty that someone else can do," he explained, remembering the Slayer who tried – and failed – to balance the two. Somehow, he knew that Buffy would be able to do what Nikki couldn't. To be fair, Nikki didn't have the luxury of a second Slayer to help out.

Buffy turned to Giles for his advice. She wished she didn't feel like a 5 year old. She was the Slayer, an adult, and about to have her own child; she should be able to make this choice by herself…right?

Giles saw the question in Buffy's eye. He knew he couldn't make this decision for her, but he would give her his opinion, biased as it may be. "While I despise how this came about, the fact that you'll be able to be a mother and have a somewhat normal life pleases me to no end."

Then he had a sad thought and looked at the balance demon for an answer. "Whistler, can you tell us who this new girl is? Does she already have a Watcher or should I plan to stay here?" he questioned, torn between _his_ darling Slayer and the desire to make sure the new girl had a Watcher she could count on.

"Can't say to the second part. If you're worried about it being a Council lackey, you could always give Wesley a call," Whistler suggested. "He's making good progress in LA. Thanks to you guys, by the way. If it weren't for you, he'd still have that Council stick up his ass."

"As for the girl…" the balance demon smirked, "The Powers liked how you turned out, and so they looked for another missed Potential that can be trained by the _right_ kind of Watcher. They think they found her. She's already used to the unusual, so she won't be caught off-guard like you were. She'll be sent here, and you can decide if it's you or Wesley that will take care of her. By the time the Council finds out, it will be too late for them to do anything about it."

"We'll call Wesley after we've done the spell," Buffy said with a sigh. More dealing with her ex, just what she needed. "I hope he'll come without a lot of explanation from us. And that he can leave without Angel joining him."

Whistler smirked inwardly. The petite blonde had really done some growing up since he last spoke to her. The ensouled vampire had been the center of her world back then, and now she was trying to avoid him. Not that he blamed her; Angel had really made a mess of things between them – especially with the day he had them take back. Well, now he would have to pay for his arrogance. Maybe this would teach him to stop making decisions for others. "We could always send the seer a vision for him to deal with if you'd like."

Buffy looked at the balance demon she once threatened, smiling. "Really? As long as it is only of something that was happening anyway, 'k? That would be great. I just don't want to put anyone in danger as a distraction," she hastily clarified.

Waving off her concern, Whistler explained, "Nah, there's so many people to rescue there, she could be having visions 24/7 and still not cover them all."

"Then thanks, Whistler. I just don't want to deal with him on top of all this. Our last meeting was less than pleasant, and maybe I'm being childish, but I don't have the energy for another fight with him. Not about this," she told him wearily.

"Understandable, kid. You take care of yourself and the little one," he ordered kindly.

Once he was gone, Giles and Buffy began the paternity spell, hoping that Joyce would arrive in time to witness it. But they also knew they couldn't wait too long either; the Scoobies would probably be checking in around 6.

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**20 minutes later…**

"Hey, Mom!" Buffy said as she let Joyce in the door. "We thought you'd like to be here when we found out the identity of the father. The spell should be done any minute now."

Joyce gave her daughter a firm hug, then looked her over for any signs of trouble with her pregnancy. "So the rest of your travels went alright, then?" she inquired.

"As well as can be expected. I know I told you this before, but it just needs to be repeated several times – Professor Walsh was completely certifiable," the pregnant Slayer announced.

"I agree. I also wi-- would have liked to have had the chance to make her pay for what she did to you," Joyce quickly changed her wording when she realized she was about to use the w-word. She was learning how dangerous seemingly harmless things were. She looked back at her daughter. "Now, what else can you tell me about the men on the list. There were…16, I believe?"

Buffy glanced at her Watcher momentarily. "Mom, why don't you sit down. I'll go through the list with you again and tell you about them." She went on to briefly describe each man and their impressions of them. Joyce looked distraught upon hearing Booth's. She gave Buffy a comforting hug before encouraging her to continue.

When Buffy got to Ethan, she hesitated. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Mom…Ethan _claimed_ that he couldn't be the father because he was sterile--"

Joyce interrupted her, "That's good news, right? You didn't _want_ him to be the father…did you?" she asked, horrified at the thought.

Buffy reassured her, "No! We're thrilled he isn't – assuming he wasn't lying. The thing is…he said he gave Walsh the names of two other magick users – or _potential_ magick users – who also had a personal connection to me."

Now Joyce felt confused. Her daughter was being very vague about this. And that meant she thought it was bad. "Who?"

Unable to stall any longer, Buffy answered softly, "My Watchers, Giles and Wesley. Ethan said he wasn't sure that Wesley could do magick, but he told Walsh a spell that she could used to check." She looked at her mom, then continued, "Now, he could be lying. Or Walsh could have ignored the order to have a magick user on the list. We know she didn't really buy into that part of the supernatural. To her, the HSTs were a different class of animals or humans with a mutation or disease."

Unfortunately, this didn't explain Buffy's reluctance to tell Joyce. "Are you upset that Rupert and Wesley are on the list?" she inquired.

"Me? No. But I know how uncomfortable you are with the Watcher/Slayer dynamic, and this adds a whole new level to that," Buffy explained the problem, finally.

Joyce thought about it for a moment, then made her decision. "Well, I know that Rupert would care about this child, regardless if he had any biological ties to him or her. What about Wesley?"

"We don't know. We wanted to wait to see if he's the father before we mentioned it – because of Angel. But there's good news, too!" Buffy happily added.

"What?"

Buffy smiled as she shared the news she _knew_ her mother would like, "We got a visit from the Powers That Be's messenger just before you got here, and he told me that even though I get to keep my Slayer powers, I no longer have to stay on the Hellmouth."

When her mother looked like she was going to ask another question, Buffy hurried to go on, "The PTB are going to take the line from Faith and pass it onto a new girl, and she'll have the responsibility for being the active Slayer. He said that my duty is to my child now. Of course, I assume that I'll still need to occasionally slay – or help out in an apocalypse. But the thing is, I'm done!"

Joyce gave a glad cry and clung to her daughter as they cried.

Giles watched the two woman, glad that they had something other than Buffy's death at a young age to look forward to. A quick glance at his watch made him speak up, "I hate to interrupt your celebration, but the spell is finishing now."

They got up from the couch and made their way over to where the items were laid out, each one had a note card in front of it, labeling the man's name – just so there was no confusion.

"So, what are we looking for?" Joyce asked.

"The item from the man who is the father will smoke, then turn white," Giles explained again.

Joyce was watching the items carefully and pointed out, "So that means the daddy is…"

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A/N: Okay, folks, here is your last opportunity to vote! Remember, just the top three – in order. I will start working on the winning father's story as of September 26th. If it's a oneshot, then I hopefully will have it done in a week; if it's not, then at least the first chapter so he's revealed.


	2. Chapter 2: Telling the Gang

**Chapter 2: Telling the Gang**

Summary: Before she can leave Sunnydale, Buffy has some loose ends to tie up.

A/N: In response to Challenge 3064: conception by conspiracy *non-stargate* by shelli.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas: zigpal, JediKnight and AshDawnSoulmates.

A/N3: Instead of starting a new story for this interlude stuff, I just decided to extend the paternity test ficlet into a mini-story.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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**Still Giles' apartment**

After Buffy went into more detail about the father of her baby, Joyce asked the logical question, "So, you think that you'll move out east to be closer to him?"

"Yeah. If it makes him uncomfortable for me to live in the same town, then I'll just live somewhere along the coast." Seeing the look in her mother's eyes, Buffy explained, "A lot of the guys seemed interested in being part of the baby's life, even if they weren't the dads."

Joyce hesitated, then blurted out, "I want to come with you."

"What? What about the gallery?" Buffy put up a token protest; inside she was doing the Snoopy dance, though.

"I can get work some place nearby," Joyce shrugged off the concern. Then she decided to admit the truth, "To be honest, Buffy, I was really only staying here because of you. Ever since you told me about this place, I've wanted to leave. But I couldn't because I didn't want to miss any time with you."

Buffy tried one final time, "If you're sure…" Then she gave a deep sigh of relief and smiled brightly at her mother, "I would love for you to come. I have a feeling that I'll need my mommy in the coming months. Not to sound too childish here – especially since I'm going to have one soon."

"It makes perfect sense. I wanted my mother when I was pregnant with you. I think all women do," Joyce confided the pregnant woman's secret.

Clearing his throat, Giles interjected, "And I'd like either Wesley or myself to go along as well. At least until the child is born. You'll need protection as your pregnancy progresses."

"Which one of you?" Buffy inquired, trying not to pout to get her way.

"Whichever one doesn't stay behind to train the new Slayer," he answered her honestly. As much as he wanted to be the one to join her, the Slayer needed the right Watcher.

Buffy couldn't stop herself anymore and murmured, "Can I be selfish and say I want Wes to train her?"

Giving her a tender embrace, Giles replied in kind, "Only if I get to be selfish and want the same thing as well."

Joyce smiled at the pair and chipped in, "That's my choice, too."

"Although, she deserves the best, and that'd be you…unfortunately," Buffy added, this time with a pout.

"Face it, Rupert. You are a hot commodity," Joyce couldn't help but tease the man.

Giles blushed at the words. "Yes, well…" he started to stutter out, then gave up to polish his glasses.

Buffy giggled as she linked her arm with her mom's, "I think we broke him."

"Good to know we can," Joyce smirked back.

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Just before six, Willow and Xander showed up at the apartment with their significant others, eagerly demanding where the Watcher and Slayer went, and why.

Willow began first, "So, what's the real story for your trip? I'm not buying Watcher/Slayer bonding."

"We actually did grow closer," Buffy pointed out.

As expected, Anya spoke her one-track mind, "Oh, are you orgasm friends now?"

Which caused Xander to cringe. "Ahn, please! No mental images of Buffy and Giles like that!" he pleaded, rubbing his head in a futile attempt to get rid of those images.

Buffy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "No, it was nothing like that. But you guys should sit down; this will take a while," she commanded as she took her own seat.

Now Willow looked worried. "What's wrong?"

"Where should I start? Umm…well, I'm no longer going to be the Slayer," the petite blonde blurted out.

Xander's head snapped up at the announcement. "Huh?"

"What?" And Willow was doing a great impression of a fish out of water.

Giles rolled his eyes before scolding his Slayer, "I don't think that's the right place to start."

"Why not?" Buffy shot back, then turned to her friends to explain, "I got a visit from a messenger for the Powers That Be. A new girl is coming to take over the Hellmouth 'cause I gotta leave."

Willow tried to keep up. "Is there demony badness someplace else?" she guessed.

Buffy shook her head, "Not that I know of. I'm just supposed to go into semi-retirement."

"How do you know this messenger is legit? Maybe they're really a bad guy trying to trick you," Xander pointed out.

Shaking her head again, Buffy assured them, "No. I met Whistler during the Angelus thing. He's the real thing."

"So you're leaving and Faith is coming back?" Now it was Willow's turn to cringe.

"No, it's going to be a new girl," Giles responded calmly.

Xander thought for a moment, then asked – not entirely sad about it, "Faith die?"

"She's just losing her powers." Buffy paused before she continued, "See, I have to leave, but I need to keep my powers because the demon community knows me too well. Faith, not so much. And since she's not getting out of prison anytime soon, the PTB decided to bypass her. The new girl should be arriving any day now."

Willow was like a dog with a bone. "But why do you have to _leave_?" she demanded.

"Remember back in March…when I got hurt?" Buffy reminded the group of her time in the infirmary.

"Yeah," they all nodded.

Buffy ran her hands over her face and back through her hair. "Well, as it turned out, Walsh had a back-up plan for creating the ultimate soldier."

"Oh goddess, she implanted a chip in you?!" Willow leapt to the wrong conclusion.

"Not exactly. No chip, but she definitely stuck _something_ in me." She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

There was stunned silence for several minutes.

Tara was the first to break it with her stuttered question, "Professor Walsh inseminated you?"

"Who's the dad? Riley?" Xander guessed. If that guy had anything to do with this, he – and probably Willow – would show the ex-commando that the 'shovel speech' wasn't just words.

Buffy shook her head, "That was the point of this trip: to find out. All we had was a list of possible candidates. Giles found a magical paternity spell, but we needed something from each of the men to do it."

Willow looked hurt. "Why didn't you say anything to us? We would have helped you."

"Honestly? I was afraid of how you would react. Even when we knew that the dad was human, I didn't want to risk telling you until I could cross at least one of the names off the list," Buffy told them as kindly as she could. She didn't want to hurt their feelings after all. "I just needed time to adjust to the idea."

If it wasn't Riley, and it was human, then… "Who?" Anya questioned.

Bracing herself, Buffy told them, "Ethan Rayne."

"He isn't, is he? 'Cause that would just be-- " Xander broke off, shuddering.

Buffy nodded her agreement of that sentiment. "Which is why I wanted to find out first. And no, thankfully, it's not Ethan. It's a nice guy from the East Coast," Buffy was relieved to say.

Then Xander spoke without thinking, "I still don't get why you have to run away again."

Joyce stood up, angry at the young man's careless words. She saw the pain flash in her daughter's eyes before she slid the mask back in place. "She's not running away! She was given her freedom by the beings that forced this burden on her in the first place. _They_ understood that she deserved a chance to raise her child. Why can't you? You can leave anytime you want. Shouldn't she have the same right?" she demanded.

Putting his hand on Buffy's shoulder in a show of support, Giles chimed in, "And it's not as if she will entirely give up slaying. She just has to put her child first. Even Whistler said so. The Hellmouth will be protected; as Buffy said, a new Slayer is on her way," he added with a glare.

"But she wouldn't be as good as Buffy," Willow pouted, not wanting to lose her friend.

Buffy snorted, "_I_ wasn't as good when I was first Called. At least she'll have a good Watcher to help her out."

Surprised, Willow glanced at the Englishman. "Giles is staying here?"

"Either myself or Wesley. He has come a long way from the prat he was last year," Giles said in warning. Wesley deserved another chance if he came.

Joyce grabbed her daughter's hand as she added, "I will be going with Buffy. I care about you kids, but this is my daughter and grandchild. I need to be with them."

Xander gave her a sad smile; he was sorry to lose the best mother the group had. "We understand, Mrs. S."

"That's right," Willow agreed. Then she moved to kneel in front of her best friend. "And I'm sorry, Buffy. You didn't deserve to have this done to you. But if it gives you a chance at a regular life, then maybe it's a good thing."

"What do you mean?" Xander asked, not caught up to Willow's train of thought.

Willow turned to him, a heartbreaking expression on her face. "They basically raped her, Xan. Maybe not in the physical sense like we understand it, but her body was violated."

Horrified, Xander rushed to Buffy's side to apologize, "Oh my gosh! I hadn't thought about it like that. I'm sorry, too."

Buffy reveled in the love of her friends for a moment, then spoke up, "It's not like it's your fault, guys. What's done is done. Like you said, it's a blessing in disguise."

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A/N: Next…Faith and Wesley.


	3. Chapter 3: Onto Faith and Wesley

**Chapter 3: Onto Faith and Wesley**

Summary: Before she can leave Sunnydale, Buffy has some loose ends to tie up.

A/N: In response to Challenge 3064: conception by conspiracy *non-stargate* by shelli.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas: zigpal, JediKnight and AshDawnSoulmates.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

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**Summers' home**

**The next day…**

Buffy went to her OB-Gyn the next day and called the dad with the news. "Hey, it's Buffy! Just thought I'd let you know that I'm having amniocentesis done. The doctor told me that it can be used to determine paternity. Umm, just wondering if you wanted to have the results sent to you so you can match them against yourself or not."

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**Little bit later…**

"Hey, Wes!" Buffy chirped when her ex-Watcher answered his cell.

Wes smiled at the voice. "Buffy! It's good to hear from you again. How are your travels going?"

"All done. But there's some stuff I need to talk to you about. I have to go and see Faith today. Can we get together afterward? Giles will be coming with me," she asked hesitantly.

"That should be fine. Is everything alright? There isn't another apocalypse or anything?" Wes inquired, concerned at her tone.

Buffy shook her head, "Nope, but can we wait to get through this in person?"

Wes agreed, "If you wish. Do you want to meet at the hotel or is this not something you want Angel to know about?" he asked gently, remembering their talks during her trip.

Giving a rueful chuckle, Buffy answered, "Tough question there. Let's meet privately first. We'll have to talk to Angel about it afterward, but I'd rather get through it with you before having to deal with him."

"Just call me when you are done with Faith, and we'll arrange a meeting then," he offered.

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**LA Women's Correctional Facility**

Somehow Faith wasn't surprised to see her visitor. "Hey, B. Guess you're here about that freaky dream I had last night."

"Guy with a Bronx accent and a bowler hat, name of Whistler?" Buffy questioned, relieved that he gave her a heads up. It should make this easier.

Faith nodded, "Yep. Called Angel about it this morning."

Fighting to hide her irritation that Faith was closer to her ex than she was, Buffy managed to respond calmly, "Not surprising. I have to talk to him later anyway," she allowed.

"So what's going on? Why am I losing my powers _now_?" Faith asked, leaning forward in her chair.

Buffy wasn't sure how much she wanted to share. "How much did Whistler tell you?" she inquired instead of answering.

Faith shrugged, "Just that my destiny now was to pay for my crimes and that the Powers That Be were taking my Slayer-ness and giving them to somebody new. I mean, I guess I deserve to lose them after what I did," she said despondently.

"I'm not going to comment on whether that's true or not, because I'm not exactly the most objective person to ask. But the reason it's happening now is because I'm pregnant," Buffy confided, unsure as to why she didn't just let Faith believe she deserved it.

"Farm-boy knocked you up?" Faith guessed.

Buffy sighed, knowing that she'd have to explain to either Faith or Angel – probably both. "More like his boss did."

"Huh?"

"When you had my body, that was the only time 'I' had sex with Riley. I just wasn't ready after I got used by another guy," Buffy explained, silently thrilled at the guilt on the other girl's face. "Anyway, Riley's boss at the Initiative wanted to have a Slayer breeding program, so she inseminated me with some guy's sperm when I was unconscious in their infirmary one night. Since she was dead and all we had was a list of possible candidates, it took a while to figure out which one it was."

"Do you think she did the same thing to me?" Faith wondered out loud. She wasn't sure if Riley knew she was a Slayer or not.

Buffy shook her head. "There was nothing about it in her notes, and she's been dead for a few months now. Do you think it's possible you're pregnant?"

Faith breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the time frame. "Just got my visitor couple weeks ago, so no."

"Good," Buffy declared. No need for both of them to go through this.

"So what's the rest of the story?" Faith prompted the blonde.

Buffy picked the explanation again, "When Giles and I got back from tracking down all the guys, we got a visit from Whistler. Seems the PTB are giving me early retirement. They're calling a new Slayer, but since I'm more known to the demon community than you are, they're also letting me keep my powers. The new girl will be the active Slayer, and I'll do what I can while being a mom. But I was told to leave the Hellmouth."

Catching the tone, Faith questioned, "You think they're up to something?"

Shrugging, Buffy replied flippantly, "Wouldn't surprise me. But what can I do about it? I figure that I'll just accept the out they're giving me for now and worry about the rest later."

"I guess it makes more sense this way. Doubt I'll be fighting any demons in here anyway," Faith allowed. "So, you meet the new girl yet?"

"She hasn't arrived yet. The PTB are sending her directly to Giles before the Council can find her. That way she'll have a good Watcher instead of one of those Council drones," Buffy smirked at the idea of putting one over on the Council.

That surprised Faith. "G isn't going with you?" She didn't think anything would separate the dynamic duo.

"We haven't decided yet. I have to meet with Wesley when I leave here. See if he's willing to give it another shot. If he doesn't want to work with the new girl, maybe he'll go with me until the baby is born," Buffy said.

"That's gotta be tough. I mean, as much as you probably want to get away from the Hellmouth, this is a crappy way for it to happen," Faith sympathized.

Buffy shrugged again, "At least the dad isn't too bad."

"Ooo, is he a hottie?" she asked in true Faith-fashion.

"He's…okay looking," Buffy replied, not wanting to get into a girlfriend kind of discussion with Faith over the guy. She wasn't that comfortable with the brunette anymore. She just wanted to talk about the Slayer stuff, then leave.

-----------------------------

**LA restaurant**

Wes stood up as Buffy and Giles approached his table. "How did your visit with Faith go?"

"She accepted things a lot better than I would have in her situation," Buffy replied graciously.

Giles was quick to defend his Slayer, even to herself, "I think you have the more difficult situation to adapt to."

Buffy just shook her head though, "I don't know, Giles. Losing her Slayer powers is a pretty big deal."

"What?" Wes blurted out. He knew that something had happened to the dark Slayer, but he didn't know what.

Buffy went on to explain the pregnancy, the visit from Whistler and how it changed both her and Faith's lives.

After he absorbed the knowledge, Wes posed the question, "So, what did you need to speak with me about?"

With a nod from Buffy, Giles took care of the pitch, "Buffy will need somebody to go with her when she leaves that can protect her. And this new girl will also need somebody we trust to keep her safe. That wouldn't be anyone from the Council at the moment. We're here to see if you will either be the new Slayer's Watcher, or go with Buffy so I can."

Wes was stunned by the offer. "Me? Why on earth would you trust me?"

"Because you left the Council. And it sounds like you're doing better with the fighting instead of hiding thing here," Buffy said bluntly.

"I'm honored that you would believe in me like this," Wes commented, embarrassed to feel himself blush.

Giles just grinned as he assured the younger man, "You've earned it, Wesley. It's a hard thing to turn your back on something that's been drilled into you since childhood. It took poisoning my Slayer for me to do it."

That brought up a new question. "You actually think the Council would go for me being the new Watcher? After the way things were left last year?" Wes asked.

Buffy smirked. "I think there's a reason why Whistler and the PTB are doing things this way. They must know something we don't, or they have a trick up their sleeves."

"Will you do it?" Giles inquired.

Wes quickly accepted, "Of course! Thank you."

"We'll go with you to break the news to Angel if you want. I'll have to talk to him about Faith anyway," Buffy added with a grimace.

"Yes. He was quite upset this morning when she called. He may not be pleased to see you, you know," Wes felt compelled to warn the small blonde.

Buffy rolled her eyes, then grinned evilly as she remarked, "I bet he'll be even less happy when he learns I'm stealing you away from him."

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Goodbye, Angel.


	4. Chapter 4: Goodbye, Angel

**Chapter 4: Goodbye, Angel**

Summary: Before she can leave Sunnydale, Buffy has some loose ends to tie up.

A/N: In response to Challenge 3064: conception by conspiracy *non-stargate* by shelli.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas: zigpal, JediKnight and AshDawnSoulmates.

Warning: Not exactly Angel-friendly, folks.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

-----------------------------

**Hyperion Hotel**

Before they got to the hotel, Wes explained that Cordy was gone for the day, working on her acting career. Needless to say, Buffy breathed a sigh of relief; she wasn't up to dealing with Queen C today on top of everything else.

"Hello, Angel," the blonde Slayer called out as she entered the lobby.

Angel looked up in surprise to see the love of his unlife standing there with Wes and Giles. "Buffy. What are you doing here? I thought we had an understanding," he scolded in an effort to keep from rushing over to pull her in a tight embrace.

She just scowled at his tone and shot back, "Good to see you, too."

"Angel, she's here to talk about what happened to Faith…among other things," Wes added reluctantly. He didn't really want to get in the middle of this if he could help it.

Instantly, Angel assumed the worst. "Did you do something to her? A spell to take her powers?" he growled, stalking towards them.

Which made Giles grab his cross and stake. "No. Now back off!" he ordered, furious that Angel thought so little of Buffy. If she wanted Faith to suffer, she wouldn't sneak around about it. She would face the brunette head on.

Buffy laid a hand on her Watcher's arm. "Easy, Giles. We'll tell you as soon as you calm down, Angel. Acting all vampy doesn't really help the situation," she threw at her ex, annoyed that he was so protective of the girl who caused them _all_ so much trouble.

Angel huffed, but did what she ordered. "Fine. Now what's going on?" he demanded.

"A new Slayer needs to be Called, and since Faith is in prison, her powers are not being used. So, the PTB are taking hers and giving them to a new girl," Buffy explained as evenly as she could in his presence. Her personal revelations on this trip helped her to accept that what they had was in the past, where it belonged.

Her explanation only served to confuse him though. "Why? What could be so bad that it requires two Slayers?"

She knew he wouldn't let this go. Fighting the urge to just walk out the door, Buffy confessed, "The Hellmouth will only have one Slayer. I'm leaving; moving out East."

Angel looked truly disappointed in his ex-love. He expected better of her. "Why would you abandon your duty like this?"

Giles gritted his teeth to keep from staking the vampire – soul or no soul. This…_being_ just continued to hurt his – meaning Giles' – girl. "She isn't abandoning anything, you pillock. Whistler _told_ her to leave!"

Sensing that the situation was spiraling out of control, Wes suggested quietly to the blonde Slayer, "I think you'll have to tell him why, Buffy. He won't accept anything less."

Nodding her head in resigned agreement, Buffy blurted out, "Okay. I'm pregnant and I'm moving to be near the baby's dad."

Wes fought to keep from laughing at the stunned look on Angel's face. He managed to keep his voice even as he scolded Buffy, "Maybe a little less blunt than that."

Giles snorted in response, "Why? She didn't get the news any kinder than that."

"What happened?" Angel asked, once he found his voice again. He lost her. She was going to have some other man's child, and that would draw them together. She might even marry the man someday…if she didn't already have plans to do so.

Buffy closed her eyes to stay calm. No matter how many times she told this story, it still angered her. "The Initiative decided to use me as a breeder and impregnated me with some guy's sperm. We tracked down the guy, and since he seems decent enough, I'm moving to give him a chance to be a dad," she finished her speech.

Angel wasn't happy about this and felt it necessary to point something out, thinking that maybe they hadn't considered the possibility, "What if he was part of it?"

"He wasn't. He just had the misfortune of knowing that crazy Professor Walsh back in their schooling days," Giles retorted. Honestly, didn't Angel think they checked that before they made this decision?

Wes decided to add his part of the bombshell now, wanting this to be over with, "I'm going to Sunnydale – either to train the new Slayer, or to go with Buffy to keep her safe until her pregnancy is over."

"I can go with her," Angel quickly offered. This would give him a chance to check out the baby's father. He was already sure the guy didn't deserve her, but still--

His thoughts were cut off by Buffy's next words, "_Her_ doesn't want you to. I would prefer Giles to come with me, but if the new Slayer feels more comfortable with him, then Wes is my next choice. If he can't come, there's a few of the dad candidates that said they'd help out."

Angel stared at her with his best hurt puppy look. "You really hate me that much?"

"I don't hate you. I don't particularly _like_ you right now – especially after you took Faith's side over mine last time I was in town. Then there was the whole kicking me out of 'your' town." Buffy took a moment to quiet her nerves, then continued, "But this is a matter of trust. I don't trust you anymore. You do what you think is best, but don't listen to others' opinions. I know I'm not the best at doing that either. Maybe it's a Champion thing. The fact is, I need someone I can count on."

"And you can count on strangers more than me?" he asked, upset at the thought.

But she was beyond caring about his feelings in this matter. "Actually, yes," she replied easily – _too_ easily.

"She won't need to, anyway," Wes interjected. "I'll be packing up my things as soon as we're done here and either will be joining her or the new Slayer."

"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" the ensouled vampire asked, unsure which one he was speaking to.

They answered him in unison, "No."

Happy this confrontation was over with – at least for the day – Giles stood and reached for his Slayer's hand. "We should get going, Buffy. We have a lot to do back in Sunnydale to get you ready to leave."

Just as she got to the door, Buffy looked over her shoulder to say, "Bye, Angel. Take care."

-----------------------------

A/N: Okay kiddies, absolutely last chance to vote here. The dad's name is mentioned at the end of the next chapter and will be posted tomorrow, Sunday 9/27. You MUST vote today!!!

A/N2: Next…The new Slayer arrives.


	5. Chapter 5: The New Slayer Arrives

**Chapter 5: The New Slayer Arrives**

Summary: Before she can leave Sunnydale, Buffy has some loose ends to tie up.

A/N: In response to Challenge 3064: conception by conspiracy *non-stargate* by shelli.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas: zigpal, JediKnight and AshDawnSoulmates.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. Smallville characters belong to DC Comics & WB. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

-----------------------------

**Giles' apartment**

**A few days later…**

Buffy opened the door to find a young girl standing there. "Umm, hello? I'm looking for Rupert Giles or Buffy Summers?"

"I'm Buffy," she replied, smiling at who she assumed was the new Slayer.

The girl's next words confirmed that suspicion, "Someone named Whistler told me to come here. My name is Chloe Sullivan."

Stepping back to let her in, Buffy asked, "Did he tell you why, or did he leave that up to us?"

"Well, he said that the reason my dad and I were moving to Sunnydale was because I was needed here. And it worked out good for us since he was just fired a few months ago," Chloe added, only to see a flash of anger in the other blonde's eyes.

"Your dad just 'happened' to lose his job right before you were supposed to come here? Do you smell a rat, Giles?" Buffy asked, turning to her Watcher.

"If it happened months ago, I'm not sure." He held out his hand and introduced himself, "I'm Rupert Giles, but most everyone around here calls me Giles."

Chloe shook his hand, then Buffy's. She hurried to explain, "Oh, the firing thing was because of a power play by the Luthors. There's nothing strange about that beyond the fact they would bother with my dad."

"Okay, if you're sure…" Buffy trailed off, imagining what she would do to the balance demon if it wasn't the truth.

Nodding, Chloe looked at the pair inquisitively. "So, what am I needed here for?"

Buffy held out her hand like Vanna White and quipped, "You're up, Giles."

"First things first, can I get you anything to drink or eat?" Giles offered. "This will take a while."

"Soda's good, if you've got it," Chloe answered, making herself comfortable on the couch. Her fingers were itching to grab her notepad, but she managed to hold off.

Making her way to the kitchen, Buffy called out, "Coming right up. I don't need to hear this part again anyway."

Giles retorted quietly, knowing that she could hear him anyway, "And maybe with you out of the room, I'll be allowed to finish it for once." He shared a smile with Chloe as he began, "Alright then, the world is older than people know, and it did not start out as a paradise…"

While Giles explained demons and Slayers, Buffy slipped back in the room with Chloe's can of soda, and poured tea for herself and Giles. She was amazed by the girl's lack of disbelief.

When Giles finished his speech, Chloe guessed, "So then, I'm the Slayer now?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes at the easy acceptance. "You know, you're taking this awfully well for somebody who hasn't heard this before. Whistler really didn't tell you?" she checked.

Chloe shook her head, "He just said that there was something strange going on here, and that you two were the ones to talk to about it."

"So why aren't you freaking out?" Buffy questioned.

"Weird stuff happened in my hometown, too. Not demons and vamps, but mutations," Chloe added quickly to avoid any misunderstanding.

Giles' eyes widened in surprise. "Pardon me, did you say mutations?"

"Uh-huh. We have all these meteor rocks from a storm about 12-13 years ago, and for some reason, they can change people if they're exposed too long – or in the wrong way." Chloe thought for a minute, then went on in frustration, "We never figured out exactly how it works. And the mutations aren't usually the same either; it's like they're custom designed for each person."

"Fascinating!" Giles declared, glancing over at his books.

A move that didn't go unnoticed by Buffy, who sighed, "Great. Thanks a lot for getting him off-track. Now he's going to want to research this or something." She smiled though to let Chloe know she wasn't really angry about it.

Chloe apologized anyway, "Sorry. How do you two fit into this Slayer stuff?" she inquired, slipping into reporter-mode.

"Well, I'm the Slayer and Giles is my Watcher," Buffy explained, then counted in her head for the expected reaction.

Which was almost instantaneous. "I thought there was only one at a time," Chloe remarked in confusion.

Buffy nodded, "Yeah. A few years ago, I died for a couple minutes. My friend saved me, but I was gone long enough to Call the next girl. She died a year later, then Faith was Called. Faith went evil and is in prison now. I need to leave because I'm pregnant, so the PTB Called you. Sorry about that, by the way."

Chloe caught the genuine guilt in Buffy's voice. "Why are _you_ sorry?"

"'Cause if it weren't for me, you might have had a longer life than you probably will now," the elder blonde Slayer replied sadly.

Before she could say anymore, Giles interrupted, "What Buffy is trying to say – very poorly, I might add – is that the life expectancy of a Slayer isn't very long once Called. Buffy is one of the older ones, and she has already died."

"I see your point," Chloe agreed. "But you shouldn't worry about me, my life probably was destined to be short anyway. There were too many people that wanted me dead back home."

"Seriously?" That surprised Buffy.

Deciding to share some of her own story, Chloe clarified, "I'm an investigative reporter who specializes in the weird. That makes me a target for those who are weird."

Buffy bit her lip, trying to figure out the best way to put this. "Umm, you can't do that with Slayer stuff. I'm not really one to talk, but you're supposed to keep your identity a secret."

"Buffy is different from most Slayers in that she has some close friends that help out from time to time," Giles added.

Chloe asked hopefully, "Will they help me?"

"If they stay in Sunnydale, I'm sure they probably will," Buffy answered optimistically. She doubted that her friends would stop helping just because _she_ left.

Then Chloe posed the dreaded question, "Who's gonna be my Watcher?"

Giles shared a look with Buffy before replying, "We don't really trust many people from the Council, so right now I think it would be best if it were either myself or Buffy's ex-Watcher, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."

"You had two Watchers?" Chloe asked, wondering if this was normal.

Buffy winced slightly, "Three actually. The first one died, Giles got fired for caring too much about me, and Wesley was sent to replace him. After I told the Council to stick it, he quit too, and was working with some friends in LA up until a couple days ago. He'll be here in a couple days, then you can decide who you want as your Watcher."

Confused, Chloe queried, "If Giles is your Watcher, why wouldn't it just be Wesley?"

Acting on instinct, Buffy reached for Chloe's hands. When the younger girl didn't pull away, she looked her directly in the eyes as she explained, "Because it's very important that you mesh with your Watcher. If you can't be a team, then you won't last very long. The reason I'm still around is because of Giles and my friends."

Chloe nodded her acceptance, "Okay. What should I tell my dad then?"

"Do you think that he could handle the truth?" Buffy asked, remembering her own problems in telling her mom.

"Maybe," Chloe answered truthfully. She wanted to say yes, but she guessed there was a reason for the secrecy.

"I'd hold off until you needed to, then. But make sure he understands the rules of surviving Sunnydale," Buffy warned the newest Slayer.

Chloe couldn't stop herself from pulling out her pad now. "What are they?" she inquired, pen ready to write. She missed the amused looks of the other two as they watched her.

Buffy and Giles spent the next few hours telling Chloe about Vamp 101. When the gang showed up for patrol, she joined them and managed to stake her first vampire without too much difficulty. All in all, it appeared that she would have very little trouble fitting in.

-----------------------------

**Summers' home**

**Next day: Option 1**

Buffy picked up the phone, seeing from the caller ID that it was the baby's father. "Yes?"

"This is Gregory House," he introduced himself, trying to keep a grip on his nerves.

-----------------------------

**Summers' home**

**Next day: Option 2**

Buffy picked up the phone, seeing from the caller ID that it was the baby's father. "Yes?" She would have to remember to tease Giles that he made a mistake the other day when they talked to Angel. The baby's dad didn't go to school with Walsh; that was Wilson and House.

"This is Jethro Gibbs," he introduced himself, trying to keep a grip on his nerves.

-----------------------------

A/N: Okay, it may seem confusing, but the votes were so close between House and Gibbs that Musie decided to do alternate endings for them. Horatio, Luke and Giles rounded out the top five, but were like 60 votes behind. This _isn't_ a twin story. These are two different possible endings here. Hope that is clear to everyone. Thanks for all the interest, folks. This has been a blast so far.

A/N2: Next…Onto the new phase of the series!


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